By Ben Oroko
benoroko2000@yahoo.com
The recent wave of student unrest and arson cases reported across the country,did not only pose a serious safety and security threat to the student community and other stakeholders,but it alsoraised a human rights concern.
It is against this background that I strongly concur with with various education management experts and professionals,that it is most appropriate for education policy makers in the country to consider introducing Human Rights Clubs in our secondary schools to stem rampant cases of indiscipline and unrest threatening to destroy not only the future careers of our young people,but also the image of secondary schools in the country.
Iam optimistic that,the formation of Human Rights clubs in our secondary schools will mark a paradigm shift from the traditional way of handling students’ grievances to a more humane and inclusive approach that will nurture a culture of torelance and respect among learners,thereby discouraging them from engaging in violent activities that in most cases result in wanton destruction of fellow students’ property and that of their schools running into millions of shillings.
The constitution of Human Rights clubs,may not only foster peaceful co-existence and harmony in schools,but to a larger extent they could assist in addressing other challenges facing our society today.
I have a strong feeling that,respecting Human Rights always starts with respecting one’s own Human Rights before respecting the others’ rights.
I find it unique to have such clubs in our schools,since they will guarantee students a platform through which they can brainstorm on issues affecting them and their respective school administrations instead of resorting to unlawful actions in the name of addressing their grievances.
The clubs,if well handled,will holistically educate and mould students into law abiding citizens who will in turn apply the knowledge they have acquired in promoting respect for human rights among themselves and in their respective communities.
It is important for students to desist from the rogue culture of engaging in unrest and destruction of school property,since it amounts to violation of other students’ human rights,depriving them of their right to quality education among other human rights basic human rights trampled upon during such unlawful incidents.
From the perspective of dispute and conflict resolution, the clubs will give students a human rights sense while handling and finding solutions to problems affecting them both within the school environment and outside.
Inthe long run,the students will be part and parcel of the solution to the pproblems facing them instead of multiplying the same through strikes and torching of their schools,passing the burden to their parents and those of other innocent students who did not take part in the destructions reported in such institutions.
The clubs would inculcate the culture of discipline and responsibility among students in whatever they do both within and outside the school,reminding themselves that the school is always and remains the true foundation of any society.
Having been used as vehicles of respecting human rights among students,the clubs will be exploited as a tool of fostering peace,harmony and national unity among the Kenyan communities.
The success of these human rights clubs in schools will solely depend on individual students’ discipline which is normally traced to their parental discipline and character.
It is upon the parents,to discharge their parental roles and responsibilities of ensuring they bring up disciplined children before handing them over to teachers and schools.
It is important that,parents shed off the mindset that corporal punishment is a solution to students’ indiscipline,not knowing such disciplinary measure has been overtaken by events and there is need to embrace emerging alternative child discipline mechanisms that strengthens parent-child bond and relationship.
Corporal punishment is a dangerous tool that must be used cautiously,since if it is misused to some degree may lead to hatred and retaliation in case the child feels no one loves them or expects good behaviour from them.
The Writer is a Communication practitioner and correspondent based in Kisii.
